Microsoft Announces the Lumia 540 Dual-SIM

Just when you thought that the market for low-end Lumia handsets was saturated, Microsoft has announced yet another low-end Lumia handset. This time, it’s the Lumia 540 Dual-SIM, which features at 5-inch 720p display and a low retail price of $150. Not that it’s coming to the United States.

And this is perhaps the point. Sitting here in the US with my high-speed Internet and financially able to buy any smart phone I want, it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around yet another low-end Lumia. But this device, like so many of the Lumias Microsoft has shipped since taking over Nokia’s devices business, isn’t aimed at people like me. It’s aimed at the rest of the world.

So. I’m as personally bored with this stuff as you all are. But there’s a point to it. And I guess we’ll have to wait and see whether Microsoft can translate this idea—this push at certain market segments—into actual unit sales, market share, and platform success.

“When designing a smart phone, there are plenty of things to consider, like form, materials, and usability,” Microsoft’s Ian Pottie says. “We also get to engage with people all over the world to really understand what’s important to them. Ultimately, most people just want a great smart phone experience that they can afford.”

On that note, here’s what’s up with the Lumia 540 Dual-SIM.

Affordable. This is job one for Lumia these days, and the 540 DS is just $150 at retail, Microsoft says, though it won’t be sold in the United States.

Availability. The Lumia 540 Dual-SIM will start shipping in early May to the IMEA and APAC regions, and to Italy.

OS. Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim. I assume it’s really 8.1.2.

Processor. 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200, which is about as low-end it gets these days.